leadership dot #2176: prominent

In my work with supervisors, I hear many laments about how hard it is to find people to fill jobs these days. They make it seem like it would be nearly impossible to find people to work the shifts at Milt and Edie’s drycleaners – a service business that is open 24/7/365. Not only do they need people to do the actual laundry, but they also offer alterations and tailoring during all those hours.

Yet Milt and Edie’s has found a way to keep people for extensive periods of time. They feature a large sign on their building that shares the name, the number of years worked and nationality of those who work there, and they tout the cumulative number of years’ experience they provide. Inside are flags of the countries of their employees. Next to the Alteration Center is a pegboard that features pictures of all the employees who are working that day.

Many organizations acknowledge longevity at a once-a-year ceremony or newsletter, but it was front and center at Milt and Edie’s. Think of how you can make your recognition efforts more personal and prominent. The future of your organization depends on your ability to have people operating it.

leadership dot #2175: clean up

One does not normally look for a dry cleaner while on vacation, but there was a cap and gown that needed to be pressed so we sought one out. It turned out to be one of the most fascinating stops of the whole vacation.

Milt and Edie’s drycleaners is a place like no other. They are open 24/7/365 and offer alterations during all those hours – at no extra charge! There is free popcorn and coffee (always), sometimes supplemented with free hot dogs or cookies. You can eat your treats by the fish pond outside where the sign proclaims: “If we were any more environmentally friendly, we’d be beating your clothes on a rock.”

Milt and Edie’s provides free cardboard caddies for hangar recycling, bins to donate old clothes and free shirt collar stays and buttons on a lapel pin to use in emergencies. As a new customer, we received a gift bag with a lint roller, nail file, notepad, coupons, and more. I walked out of there with more branded materials than I have for my own company!

The place is so busy that at night they have a security guard directing traffic in the parking lot. When you walk in there are six counters to serve you, all awash in their distinctive hot pink.

Milt and Edie’s has been in business for over 70 years. When it was founded it was certainly not common to offer this level of service or to create such a distinctive environment, but perhaps their foresight is what has sustained them for three-fourths of a century.

If Milt and Edie can make a memorable experience at a dry cleaning and tailoring business, think of the possibilities that exist in your organization. How can you go the extra mile to deliver the seemingly impossible for your clients and clean up on your competition?

leadership dot #2174: peek

As part of the Universal Studios theme park, we were able to take a tour of the production lot. We drove through facades of different neighborhoods, felt tremors as if in an earthquake, were splashed by the rushing waters of a flood and saw the pond where the first mechanical shark from Jaws swam.

If you were familiar with the movie or television show, the props and effects had a much greater meaning. For example, a car is just a car, unless you watched Back to the Future or Knight Rider and then you could appreciate the sentimentality of those vehicles.
To help place the sets into context, the tram cars included television cameras that would show clips from movies that featured the sets we were seeing in person. It brought home how easy it is to fake things in the news or on the internet; the plane crash that we saw was totally staged yet appeared perfectly real on the screen.

The studio tour is one of the most popular attractions at the park. It reminded me that people, myself included, really like behind-the-scenes access. It helps us to have a deeper understanding and greater context for the world around us. It helps us to feel “in-the-know” and special. It gives added appreciation for what goes into achieving the end product.

Help your clients see your organization with a new lens by providing a behind-the-curtain look into some aspect of your work. You may not be able to show something as dramatic as replicating an earthquake, but those who know you will love you more if they get a peek at how you make your magic.

leadership dot #2173: corny

Memorial Day is often the first cookout weekend, and for many, that means sweet corn along with the grilling. Most corn is served boiled or grilled but a restaurant in California puts those traditional methods to shame.

Why stop at butter when you can have an ear rolled in Flaming Hot Cheetos or lemon juice and chili powder? My favorite was the Uni-Corn featuring rainbow-colored cotija cheese. From Mexican to Doritos to Cheetos to queso fresca, this sweet corn was definitely not served straight from the farm.

All around you, there are items that have been cooked or done in a traditional way for years. Think about the crazy flavors of corn when you are serving up your picnic or even when you are heading into the office tomorrow. Pledge to step out of the box to take something ordinary and make it extraordinary.

leadership dot #2172: do as I say

The Griffith Observatory was filled with a multitude of exhibits that really impressed on the viewers the grandeur of the universe and our small place in it. What the Observatory did not have, however, was recycling bins. Worse than that, their cafeteria served sandwiches in bulky plastic containers, sold water in bottles and offered no capability to recycle any of it.

I come from a long line of extreme recyclers and we were all dismayed at the incongruity of their brand. We were surrounded by messages about the importance of the Earth, yet their actions were contradicting that. I thought about all the money they spent to install elaborate displays in the Observatory but failed to invest a small sum more to put into practice what they are preaching. At the very least, they could have sold water in paper containers and made a point with the novelty of them.

Never doubt that people notice the small things and take to heart more of what you do than what you say.

leadership dot #2171: celestial

Another stop on my California visit was the Griffith Observatory, an imposing architectural structure that towers above Los Angeles. The Observatory contains exhibits that you would expect – a planetarium, telescopes, moon rocks, and solar system exhibits – but the most eye-catching display was that of jewelry.

Kudos to the curator who expanded his/her view of what could or should be featured in an observatory. Because of their openness and vision, one very long hallway is enhanced with 2200 pieces of jewelry representing variations of celestial objects and astronomy. The collection was amassed over 25 years and donated by a long-time board member – who obviously had an affinity for the stars. It provided a beautiful diversion from the geodes and rugged items on display and illustrated the expansiveness of both the universe and interpretation of it.

The next time you need to communicate a message or emotion, think beyond the usual ways of doing so. The sky’s the limit for ways you can effectively tell your story!

leadership dot #2170: excavating

At the La Brea Tar Pits Museum, there is a working paleontology laboratory that manages the sorting, classification and archiving of the bone and plant remains that are found in the tar pits. Rather than be hidden in the bowels of the building as some behind-the-scenes functions are, this lab is glass enclosed and the work is in full view of the visitors.

People can see the scientists painstakingly sorting through deposits with a small artist’s paintbrush, looking for the bone remnants that may be found within them. The facility has over 1 million specimens from 650 species logged and categorized with the specific date and quadrant in which they were found.

I watched the sorting process for about a minute and already was bored. I can’t even imagine a job where you peer through a microscope dusting off a handful of sediment looking for a bone chip with a paintbrush. Then I learned that those performing the tasks are volunteers! The lab only has three paid staff with the remaining work done by those who willingly donate their time to do it.

The La Brea Tar Pits are a great example of matching interests with needs. They have developed a way to recruit and train those with an interest in their work, and to do it at a consistent enough level to run the operation.

There is a job for everyone. How can your organization excavate the talent pool to pair the work with those most interested in performing it – even if they are doing it for free?

leadership dot #2169: the pits

When it was suggested that we visit tar pits when we were in Los Angeles, I thought that they were joking. It turned out to be a fascinating lesson in understanding the Ice Age and how it impacted our ecosystem today.

The La Brea Tar Pits are an archeological wonder in central Los Angeles. Both in controlled excavating and even in spots in the parking lot, pools of oily tar are visible, just as they have been for centuries. Bones of thousands of plants and animals have been preserved in this tar and reclaimed for public display.

The Tar Pits Museum demonstrates how during the Ice Age the Wooly Mammoths would wade into the pits attempting to eat plants but become trapped in the sticky tar. Subsequently, wolves and other predators would see a vulnerable mammoth and move in close to eat it, thus becoming trapped as well. This continued throughout the food chain with more and more animals becoming victims of the tar pit pool.

Without the context at the museum it is hard to imagine how giant mammoths could disappear but seeing their exhibits makes the behavior logical if not inevitable. One thing led to another and to another and soon the whole ecosystem was mired in a gooey mess. Tens of thousands of years later archeologists are still excavating bones that recreate the disastrous path.

Think of what is the equivalent of a tar pit in your organization. Where do your employees continually get tripped up on policies or procedures that cause them to be stuck? What behaviors create complications that have a ripple effect throughout the organization? What conditions paralyze your staff and leave them vulnerable to outside forces? It may not be a literal tar pit, but there may be something toxic in your environment that mires the best of intentions. It’s time to do some organizational excavating!

leadership dot #2168: stars

Like all good tourists, when I was in Hollywood I strolled Hollywood Boulevard and looked at the Walk of Fame. I thought about the thrill that must have been for those whose name is permanently engraved on the sidewalk and how for many it would represent a highlight of their career.

We reveled in seeing the stars – as if it were the star themselves. Tom Cruise, Marilyn Monroe, Alex Trebek, Bob Hope, Harrison Ford, Walt Disney, Matt Damon, Amy Grant, Michael Jackson – blocks and blocks of the biggest names in entertainment and we were standing where we know they once were.

But we also traversed over dozens of stars whose names we did not recognize at all – Viola Dana, Clyde Cook, Gabby Hays, Faye Emerson, Madge Bellamy, Barbara Whiting, Meriam C Cooper, Eerlin Husky, Yma Sumac – all famous enough to be immortalized on the Walk of Fame, but not enduring enough to become household names (at least in our circle).

Your organization likely does not have a literal walk of fame but think about the people who would be on it. What are you doing to keep their legacy alive? How do you tell the story of your founders or legends in your industry so that the subsequent generations would at least recognize their name? It’s nice to do recognition in the moment, but even better if you allow the star to keep shining over the long term.

leadership dot #2167: running out

As part of our “California Adventure”, we rented a house so the family could stay together instead of in multiple hotel rooms. The agreement was for the home to come fully equipped with all we would need for our stay.

The gray area came about with consumables. Who was responsible for providing trash bags, dishwasher soap, laundry detergent, napkins, shampoo, paper towels, tissues or even propane for the grill? We found ourselves making daily trips to the local grocery store because we needed something that was always on hand in our own home environment.

Renting a house highlighted the number of disposables or consumables that a family uses in a given week, but it also made me more aware of the items that are staples for routine functioning. Think about what is on your “list of essentials” for your home or office. Do you have a checklist or way to monitor inventory so that you are not making multiple trips to the store? Can you automate the ordering of certain items to make it even easier? Can you get more clarity on things you feel are optional that another in your home or organization would classify as essential?

A lot of time is wasted when the basic resources are unavailable. Don’t be running out to get what you ran out of.


our temporary home!

leadership dot #2166: ending

My sister was one of the 17,823 students to graduate from the University of Southern California this year and I was one of her several family members present for the festivities. We attended the School of Education doctoral ceremony – only for those receiving an Ed.D. – and yet there were still over 300 candidates to be hooded. Even without speeches, the program lasted over two hours.

Commencements are tricky business for event planners because people only truly care about 30 seconds of the program, but for those fleeting moments to be meaningful they must be embedded in pomp and circumstance and combined with hundreds of others having their fame.

At USC, they held 33 separate ceremonies in addition to the main graduation and baccalaureate. Over 60,000 guests passed through campus to see their friend or family member celebrate their accomplishment. And while program-specific recognitions make the experience more personal, the multitude of events require extra steps to pull off. For example, thousands of chairs were set up on every quad, and all were individually clipped together with zip ties to avoid having to do a realignment. The ceremony was live streamed to accommodate overflow crowds. Campus maps were printed on giant vinyl banners and hung in strategic locations. An Office of University Events was created to orchestrate the logistics.

The Power of Moments and other research has shown that the ending makes a disproportionately high impact on people’s feelings about the overall experience. If you are involved in commencements, retirement parties, hospital discharges or any event planning, dedicate the extra attention to the details of the farewell.

leadership dot #2165: intruder

I have always been curious about the origins of vehicle names. I wonder why some companies label their cars as a numbered series, others use just letters, some adopt common words as their names and others create their own words for naming. (Think of the BMW 700 series, the Acura TLX, the Ford Focus or the Dodge Caravan.)

Once you start paying attention you will quickly realize that there is no similar platform for what vehicles are named but I wish I could have eavesdropped on the discussions when the protocol was determined. I am sure the first time someone said “Dakota” people thought of the states, but now they see a vehicle image in their mind. Accord used to mean agreement or conjure up images of a Peace Accord, but now it’s a Honda. I’m sure that in their own way, all of the decisions made logical sense.

What I don’t understand, though, is who thought it was a good idea to name an RV “Intruder.” While some words like sierra, excursion or escape may have a dual meaning, none of them had a negative connotation before they were branded as vehicles. It reminded me of the infamous Nova debacle – with No va meaning “no go” in the Spanish market that was targeted for the vehicle. At least that wasn’t as blatantly obvious as the Intruder!

Bottom line: take great care when choosing a name. Whether it be the moniker for your product, service or child, it’s hard to change or live down a bad one. Don’t let a poor branding decision intrude on your messaging.

leadership dot #2164: signatory

I recently became an officer on our local non-profit board and thus was required to visit four area financial institutions to be added as a signatory. While I sought to complete the same task at the different places, I was amazed at the variance in their procedures to do so.

I was at one place for 45 grueling minutes while a manager and clerk tried to figure out the “new federal regulations.” They required not only my license and paperwork but the driver’s license, social security number and signatures of someone who was already on the account. More disturbing, they took two former officers off the account based on my word alone – no verification or review of the minutes required.

Institution #2 required one of the current signers to call in and verify a security question before they allowed me to access the paperwork. They gave me an envelope for the current person to re-sign but required nothing else from him. I was in and out in 10 minutes.

The clerk at my third stop looked at the Minutes listing me as an officer – a Word document that anyone could have forged – and added me to the account without further question. I left there as well with paperwork and an envelope to gather signatures from those currently on the account.

At institution #4, they wouldn’t even entertain talking to me unless someone currently on the account could come in person to re-sign and add me. I left the account to stand as it was.

It is rare that someone attempts to do the same task in a condensed timeframe at four different institutions, but it was incredibly telling. I know which bank places a higher value on “policy and regulations”, which takes security more seriously and which institution places service at a premium.

If you truly want to get a read on how your customers feel, have someone act as a secret shopper. There is nothing like actually trying to do something to learn how a process really works – and, mostly, how it feels to be in your customer’s shoes.

leadership dot #2163: non-question

It is mostly a waste of time when the manager at a restaurant goes between tables and asks diners: “How is your meal?” I’ll be that they most frequently hear “fine” or something similar. It is a non-question -- just something to say rather than a request for a real answer. It interrupts the diner’s meal and I would venture to bet that it pays a little dividend for the restaurants.

Such a lost opportunity!

What if instead, the manager asked: “What is one thing we could do to become better?” or “If you were the manager, what is something you would change?” or even “What was the worst part of your experience today?” These types of questions would force the diners to give more substantive answers and a savvy manager could track (literally or intuitively) the frequency of responses. It would allow them to take action in a way that was meaningful.

Instead of a token public relations sweep through the restaurant, managers would be well served to use the time to truly learn something from those who know them best. Whether of your diners, employees, donors or clients, make it a point to ask real questions, not those which elicit an automatic, generic (non-) response.

leadership dot #2162: letter

My 6-month-old puppy was spayed yesterday, an action that was traumatic for her (and me!), but in the scheme of things, very ordinary. There were no complications and after a few hours, they sent her on her way.

It was routine surgery and I’m sure any vet in town could have performed it in essentially the same way. But what set my vet apart was that in addition to the pills and wound-care instructions, Emma came home with a letter that explained her experience:
Today was a very special day for me!...My day started when the veterinarian and the nurse made sure I was OK to have surgery. They looked me over carefully and then took some blood samples for tests…After this step, I was given some medication which made me feel a little sleepy. While I was relaxing, they told me I would soon fall asleep and, when I woke up, the surgery would be all done…They told me not to worry because I would be given pain medicine before I even woke up, and they would also trim my nails while I was sleeping!...It seemed like only a few minutes but then I woke up and the nurse told me surgery was all over. I was kept warm and comfy with soft blankets, and the nurse called my family to tell them how everything went.
 These are [some of] the instructions from the veterinarian to help take care of me for the next few days:

• Don’t let me lick or scratch at my incision site. If I can’t leave it alone, I may need an Elizabethan collar (the Cone of Shame!) to keep me away from it.
• No bathing (yay!) or swimming for the next 7-10 days.

…So that was my big day! Everyone at Colonial Terrace Animal Hospital was very nice and made me feel special! They said my family is lucky to have me (and I know I am lucky to have them), and that I was a wonderful patient!
 I have had many dogs spayed over the years, and none of them have come home with anything but the standard, rote instructions. In fact, it seems that everything that requires directions comes with plain, technical language.

Why not take a few extra moments to make your communications memorable? Especially for situations like spay surgery that happen frequently, an investment up front can pay multiple dividends and help you become the Top Dog in your client’s mind.

leadership dot #2161: mow

What does cutting the grass and painting have in common? Besides being household chores, both are comprised of two segments: the middle and the edges.

I don’t mind cutting the grass – if it means those long, continuous stretches in the center of the lawn – but I hate all the edging and trimming along the sides. I don’t mind painting the walls –as long as it is the center of the wall itself – but I lose patience when trying to paint around windows and doors. Yet, the quality of the work overall is determined precisely by how well those details are done.

When judging the amount of time to do painting or mowing, we often give estimates to do the heart of the project and grossly underestimate the time it will take to do the edging well. This manifest itself in our organizations when we give credence to those who paint the main part of the walls and overlook those who perform the tedious trim work, or we volunteer to take on the tasks that can be performed with the riding mower but leave the weed-whacking to others.

When you are making assignments, projecting timelines or appropriating recognition, keep your lawn in mind. If you only address what occurs in the center section, your competitors will mow you over with their quality.

leadership dot #2160: for us

“Do you have any questions for us?” It’s a common question in the interview process and one that trips up a surprising number of candidates.

There is a fine line between asking questions to which you really want to know the answer (like “how much is the pay?” and “is my boss-to-be a jerk?”) and asking questions which advance your candidacy and establish you as a professional.

I believe that most questions at this juncture should be job-specific. Hopefully, you have done enough research to know more than a surface level about the organization and can ask questions that show your insight. It has often been said that you should think of your interview as your first day on the job, and so it is appropriate to formulate your inquiries in a similar way. Ask about the “why” regarding certain things or seek clarification where you have conflicting information.

A key rule for the questions you ask: they should not be something you could know without asking. In other words, don’ ask anything that you could have found out on your own if you had invested the time.

To help you from being tongue-tied at this crucial interview moment, I have developed a list of 25 questions that the candidate can adapt to ask the employer. You should have a written list prepared; some specific to the interviewer and others where it is good to ask everyone and compare responses.

Don’t discount the importance of asking good questions. The insight that candidates showed through what they asked has made the difference for many hires.

leadership dot #2159: used

I recently spent some time at garage sales (or tag sales as my East Coast friends like to call them). Dozens and dozens of homes had hundreds of items for sale and people were buying like crazy.

I spent a couple of bucks on some odds and ends but also bought a teak desk for $30. I was not looking for a desk, but the owner was moving and anxious to sell so I couldn’t pass up his let’s-get-rid-of-this price. (Later, the wood expert guessed it was worth several hundred dollars and she suggested that I got the bargain of the day!)

I was struck by the number of transactions that occurred and continue to be amazed at the robust market for “used.” Garage sales, Goodwill, resale shops, Craigslist, eBay, the vending machine in the mall that buys used phones, flea markets and consignment stores all contribute to the reuse of unwanted merchandise. Stores such as Books A Million now buy back used audio or paper books, and Amazon has an extensive Seller Marketplace to serve as a forum for buying/selling just about everything.

Buying something that has “had a previous owner” is good for the environment, your budget and maybe even allows you to find something that you are unable to buy otherwise (like a teak desk!). Challenge yourself to make “used” as your default option for purchasing whenever you can.

leadership dot #2158: mother

This is the first Mother’s Day that I am without my mom and while I’m sure it’s not a new phenomenon for many, it is hard for me.

When I think about the mother/daughter relationship, not only do I think about my Mom, I think about the pseudo-mom role that I have played for the last decade. When I was working in St. Louis, I took a student from Georgia under my wing. Due to the distance, her parents were unable to regularly watch her play basketball in person, so I was that fan in the stands. If she needed someone as a guest for a banquet or awards ceremony, she called on me. For over a decade, to her, I am still “Momma T” even though this year she is a mom herself.

On Mother’s Day, think of mother as a verb and not a noun. How can you nurture someone who needs a little extra attention? Can you care for and protect someone who is vulnerable? In what ways can you build someone’s esteem and help them grow?

Whether you are male or female, use this holiday to mother someone in the best sense of the word. And if your Mom is still with you, be sure to give her a call and a big hug. Believe me, you’ll be thankful that you could.

leadership dot #2157: art

Public art has become a popular component of urban renewal and in cities who wish to increase their creative vibrancy. Our town recently commissioned art for the sides of about a dozen buildings downtown and infused tired brick with murals that are several stories high. It transformed the landscape with color and thought-provoking images and made many people a fan of big art that adorns public spaces.

I am also a fan of little art that enhances personal spaces. I think that color and artistic expression in small ways can add a flourish to an otherwise plain platform and bring some positive energy into our lives. There are many ways to infuse your world with art beyond the obvious photos or paintings on your wall. Think about the personal expression you can add to your checks, wardrobe, outgoing mail, table settings or gift giving.

As sandal-wearing weather approaches in much of the country, another way to add original art to your life is to find yourself a pedicure artist. The right talent can create mini-masterpieces out of nail polish to make art a part of your daily presence.

Art doesn’t have to be expensive, lofty or formal. Whether it be on a multi-story canvas or a big toe, find ways to incorporate color and original expression in your day.

leadership dot #2156: bite

The arrival of the warmer weather is accompanied by the presence of ticks – those pinhead size insects that, when infected, can cause Lyme disease in humans. Lyme is serious stuff. Even with treatment it negatively impacts those who contract it for at least six months, causing fatigue, joint pain, headaches and even partial paralysis. Over 300,000 in the United States are diagnosed with Lyme each year.

Fleas are also out in full force, and those little bugs can transmit Bubonic plague to humans. The Plague sounds like an ancient disease – and, in fact, did kill over 50 million people in the 14^thcentury – but it is still active today. Over 650 people year contract it and 100 of them die each year from the bacteria.

Even though they spread the diseases, the health of the ticks and fleas are not impacted. That which harms humans does not bother the bugs, thus, it allows for perpetuation without negative consequences to the host carrier.

I think about the parallels between fleas and ticks and the parasites who infect the culture of an organization. Often, they are tiny and inconspicuous – you may need to aggressively ferret them out to find them, but their small bites do tremendous harm to the organism. There is treatment, but no cure, and even with treatment the impact lasts for many months. Initially, you may think your actions have eradicated the problem, but it often lingers.

Just as you need to be diligent about watching for ticks and fleas and properly extracting them when found on your clothing, so it is true with the gossip-spreaders and negative-energy infectors in your organization. They may be small, but do not underestimate how debilitating their bite can be – even when you don’t notice it has happened.

Source:  Wikipedia

leadership dot #2155: stay

I know several people who are in the process of changing jobs. All of them are moving on to what seems like great opportunities for them, but they leave an incredible hole in the life of their current employer.

It takes a long time to find someone to just do the job that is vacated. It takes even longer to find someone to know the job. The nuances of how the job is done, what is important/what isn’t, details that only the person doing the job knows – a lot of knowledge walks out the door when an employee leaves.

My dissertation studied the importance of employee training and development and at my defense, I was asked how I would pay for it. My answer was that it was cheaper to keep someone than to replace them. It is estimated that it costs $2000 just to replace a fast food worker. Imagine what the loss is for a professional.

Sometimes employees leave for great reasons and you should support their move. But many times employees leave in part because you haven’t done enough to challenge or support them. It’s a delicate balance to provide new opportunities and maintain a reasonable workload and it requires continual attention and feedback.

Yes, it takes a lot of time to be a great supervisor but work as hard to keep your stars as you will have to do to fully replace them.

leadership dot #2154: voice

Yesterday I wrote about the nightmare-waiting-to-happen parking situation on Main Street. I would bet that once the full impact of the scarcity is realized, there will be protestations by people who want something done about it.

Where were these people when the building permit was being reviewed? Most likely, they were oblivious to the fact it was even happening.

It is ironic that all of the money and attention is paid to the prominent elected positions when so much of what really impacts people happens at a much lower level. Committees and boards comprised of mostly volunteers often create the rulings that affect the average citizen.  Zoning boards members are not elected but decide if multiple businesses can be on the same block with only 10 parking spaces. Even in higher offices, appointed staff members draft legislation for elected officials to vote on, but it is the behind-the-scenes author that shapes the details and truly determine the real impact.

And yet at the working meetings, it is rare if anyone shows up to voice an opinion. People don’t pay attention until something is passed that they don’t like and then they come to complain. How much more effective it would be if different voices were heard in the beginning. If there was an efficient system to let people know what was on the docket, not just what is a foregone conclusion via the minutes.

Government goes to those who show up. Yes, it takes an effort to know what is coming but making changes is much easier on the front end. Do your work to be informed or do your work to protest. You pick when you want to use your voice.

leadership dot #2153: zoned out

The hair salon that I frequent is located on the dead-end block of Main Street. When they first moved there, the building was surrounded by vacant buildings and a few low key mom-and-pop businesses. I am sure the seller was delighted to find a buyer for that part of the block.

Fast forward a few years and the area is experiencing a revival. Next door to the salon a new Escape Room is being built. Across the street, a warehouse is being converted into a microbrewery. A new restaurant opened on the corner. All good developments…
…unless you want to park your car nearby.

The salon already has been challenged with parking, and this is before the brewery or escape room even open with their presumably large customer draw. I fear that it will take longer to find a place to park than it will to have my hair cut.

But personal inconveniences aside, I wonder about the inequities in zoning practices. It always pains my environmental heart to see the rows and rows of blacktop parking that remains unused at the big box stores or mall. Why are some businesses mandated to have more spots than they could conceivably use while others are allowed to open with none dedicated to their clientele (the salon included)?

Apparently, all stores must ascribe to a formula of X number of spaces per X square foot. The difference occurs because the stand-alone stores must provide all those parking spots themselves whereas the businesses on Main Street can count on-street parking to meet their quota. The problem arises when the brewery, salon, restaurant and escape room all count the same spots as available to them.

Just as Main Street is changing, so should the zoning requirements. Regulations that look good on paper sometimes have a different impact when they are implemented. Be willing to change your formula when reality indicates tweaking is warranted.

leadership dot #2152: decouple

So many new products and services come about because of an additional feature or enhanced component but think about the success stories that are because of what they subtracted.

Acute care centers created a whole new level of medical treatment when they did without the extensive services that an emergency room can provide. Southwest captured the vacation traveler niche when it did without in-flight amenities and complex booking procedures. A whole category of budget hotels became popular by foregoing room service, restaurants and concierges. Planet Fitness focused on the average person who wanted to stay in shape and left the serious bodybuilders to go elsewhere.

Dry shampoo is a whole new market that left the water behind. Pepper focused on whole peppercorns and fresh grinders without worrying about the salt component to the spice set. Salt created its own niche with a push for sea salt as a premium product. Our local movie theatre made a name for itself for its popcorn as much as for its movies.

Opportunities abound when you decouple items that are traditionally paired and focus on creating a uniqueness with one component. The next time you’re looking to provide something new ask yourself what you should leave out to achieve it.

leadership dot #2151: coloring book

Treat bags are standard fare at birthday parties for young children, but what do you give as a favor when the party is for an octogenarian? And what do you give the birthday girl herself?

One family solved both problems by custom-designing a coloring book featuring friends, family and memories of the guest of honor. She loved it, of course, but it also made for a fun memento for those in attendance.

Sometimes, the perfect present or favor isn’t out there and you have to create your own. Whether it be for a special birthday, company anniversary, team milestone or any other date you wish to commemorate, consider coloring your way into a nontraditional gift solution.

Thanks, Lucy!

leadership dot #2150: insights

Dr. Temple Grandin is an internationally known expert in the field of autism. She has written a dozen books on the topic, speaks widely about the condition and has been featured in a film.

Just knowing those facts, guess what her “day job” is. Therapist? Psychologist? Doctor? Professor?

If you guessed professor, you would be right, but what I doubt you suspected is that she is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. In addition to being an expert on autism, she is also well known for her work in cattle handling!

You may think the two are unrelated, but Dr. Grandin has used her own autism to have insights about the environment in which livestock live. She has created protocols for reducing visual distractions and adding enrichments in the animal environment and championed many improvements for more humane livestock handling. Her autistic sensitivity has translated to how to improve conditions and animal behavior. On second glance, autism and animal science seem like a natural connection.

How can you pair a diverse set of interests or insights to shape the world in ways that others cannot fathom? Your unique combination could be just what is needed to see the world more humanely.



Source: Wikipedia Temple Grandin

Source: "Speaker: A little bit of autism gives you an advantage" by Bennet Goldstein, Telegraph Herald, April 27, 2018, p. 3A

leadership dot #2149: grab

I was one of the 121 crazies who waited in line for donuts yesterday, and I’ll bet that I was the only one who had an opportunity to purchase them but left empty handed.
I came to the truck so excited about the rare opportunity to enjoy these over-the-top delicious treats. I had fantasies as I anticipated what they would taste like and I had eagerly planned on indulging. But when I got to the front of the line, I learned that they were sold only as a “mixed dozen”. In other words, a grab bag.

I know that I could have spent my $16.50 and found someone to eat the donuts I did not want. Or, more likely, I know one friend and I could have eaten the whole dozen. But at the last second before purchase, I had a moment of clarity where I realized I was playing by the rules of their game and not making the purchase of the type or quantity that I wanted. I passed.

Grab bags were fun when you were a kid – when the element of surprise outweighed any sense of frugality or practicality – but as an adult, they have less appeal. Customers want what they want when they want it, and if they are going to take a risk on an unknown, there should be some compensation through a reduced price or increased quantity.

Think twice before you get carried away over a purchase. Just because there is a long line, it is a special sale, you have a coupon, or it is only available for a limited time doesn’t mean you need to grab it.


The $1 grab bag I did grab!

leadership dot #2148: emergency

Talk about being able to create an experience: the out-of-town donut shop brought its “Emergency Donut Vehicle” to our city today. It’s a retrofitted ambulance, so we were greeted with sirens and lights when it turned into the parking lot – and they were greeted by 121 people in line before it opened.

The outside of the vehicle added to the festivity with their spaces for long john storage, emergency jelly pump, sprinkle storage bins and icing bandages. Overall it made for an out-of-the-ordinary noon hour for dozens of people in line as well as the dozens back at home or in the office who were able to partake in the dozens of donuts being distributed out of the “ambulance.”

I did not stay until the end, but the clerk said that last time they were in town, the packed-full vehicle was sold out in a half hour. What a way to generate business.
I doubt that if they had a bakery in town that it would have created this much buzz on this particular day. While they may have steady sales, people would not wait an hour in line and buy multiple dozen donuts at noon on a regular basis. Today’s levity succeeded because of the novelty and scarcity.

Think about how your organization can make something you provide less accessible. Is there a way for you to create demand because of the difficulty in obtaining a product or service? Should you shrink an element of your distribution in order to ultimately expand it? Would something be more popular if it was limited?

Maybe a manufactured emergency is just what the donut doctor ordered for you.

leadership dot #2147: scapegoat

The aftermath of yesterday’s flood won’t just leave behind water-soaked boxes and soggy possessions; what will linger after everything has dried is doubt. I know already that there will come a day when I am looking for something and I will wonder: “Is it here somewhere or did it get thrown out in the flood?”

Experience has shown me that doubt is a great energy drain. I have some files upstairs in my office and some in the basement, and I find myself too easily giving up the hunt for something because I believe it is in the other location. This necessitates a search in the second place, only to have me return with more diligence to find the item where I thought it was initially. Had there not been doubt, I would have persisted and found it in far less time. Doubt also happens whenever I do a serious purging, when I travel or when I do anything to disrupt the natural order of my routines.

Whenever you have a plausible scapegoat – whether that be a person, a place or any multitude of options – our natural tendency is to jump on doubt as the default response. Strive to minimize the opportunities for doubt to creep into your organization. Doubt-busting examples could include: specify one person responsible for a project so there is no question who needs to do that task; have designated spots for key items so people can tell at a glance whether something is available or not, and keep records and documentation to add clarity to decisions.

Your time is better spent on something besides futile wondering.

leadership dot #2146: flood

It was a simple thing, really – my housemate had just hooked up the hose and was giving the new blossoms a drink of fresh water. Fortuitously, I was in the basement at the time – just the right place to hear the waterfall cascading down from my basement ceiling. It seems that the outer pipe froze during this bitterly cold winter, but, unlike the rest of us, did not live through it. Thus, when the hose was on, it was a rainfall inside the house.

We often have torrential rains and I have always worried about basement flooding, but never from above. The palettes I had as “protection” did little and the generator in case the sump pump goes out was irrelevant. It was actually the tarp to protect things from drywall dust that did the most good, and that was never part of my flood mitigation plan.

In our homes and in our organizations, we can practice precautions and take steps to minimize risk, but it isn’t always enough. Sometimes your damage control depends purely on luck – whether you define that as good or bad – and you just need to deal with what life pours on you, even when it comes from above.